For Public Speaking - Think College of Public Speaking

CoPS Vision

The College of Public Speaking envisages a world in which well-informed and open debate flourishes and wherein people listen constructively and express their views effectively and fearlessly. With a wide and growing range of innovative speaking products, extending from one-day workshops to university-level qualifications, CoPS offers quality, flexibility and value for money to our growing customer base.

Recent UK Clients

The Ministry of Justice

The Metropolitan Police

The Commonwealth and Foreign Office

The Land Registry

Buckingham Palace

BskyB

HM Treasury

International Students

The College of Public Speaking has considerable experience of working with students from China, India, Pakistan, and the far East, Nigeria, Spain, South and Central America, Italy, Greece, France and Russia.

World Online Speech Contest

The College of Public Speaking has launched the world's first free to enter online speech contest. From our contacts world wide we have assembled a panel of judges who are eagerly awaiting your submissions.

Corporate Challenge

The College runs the annual 'Corporate Challenge' speaking competition in which companies and other organisations send representatives to compete in a six minute speech contest. It is a festival of speaking wherein the UK's top business speakers participate in friendly but very serious competition.

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Diploma Origins

This Diploma in Spoken Communication programme has been several years in preparation and piloting. The development team has been led by international educationalist Mike Douse, who has been ably assisted by his friends and colleagues at the College.

A former headmaster of schools in Wales and in Northern Nigeria, and sometime Faculty of Education academic, Mike has degrees and higher degrees from the universities of Belfast, Aberdeen and London. For the last three decades, he has advised governments (such as those of Bangladesh, Sudan, Trinidad, South Africa, Papua New Guinea et cetera) regarding programmes of educational support for the EC, DfID, UNICEF and other development partners.

Mike captained the Australian Debating team and also organised the first Australia inter-state schools debating contest, forerunner of the World School Students Debating Championships. He has had many successes as a public speaker, has written manuals in that field, and was National Development Officer of the Association of Speakers Clubs. Mike is a published poet.

Book Your Seat

How does the assessment process work?

The assignment related to each module will be assessed by the tutor and given a grade based upon the following scale:

• A: Excellent - distinction level on both practical and theoretical criteria.
• B: Very good - credit level on both practical and theoretical criteria.
• C: Satisfactory - pass level on both practical and theoretical criteria.
• D: Not satisfactory - below pass level on one or both of the practical and theoretical criteria.
• E: Fail- unsatisfactory on both practical and theoretical criteria.

The final assignment will be assessed by an examiner appointed by the College of Public Speaking, other than the tutor. It will be graded as above.

It should be noted that there will be no more than these five grades (for example, there will be no A* or C+ or D-).

For the purpose of determining whether or not a student should be awarded the Diploma and for calculating the overall grade:

• (a) An 'A' will be regarded as '5'; a 'B' as '4'; a 'C' as '3'; a 'D' as '2'; and an 'E' as '1';
• (b) The nine highest grades from the modules will be selected and those nine scores added together (out of 45);
• (c) The grade given to the final assignment will be multiplied by six: and thus out of 30;
• (d) Out of a total score of 75:
• i. A student scoring 68 or more will be awarded the Diploma with distinction;
• ii. A student scoring between 53 and 67 will be awarded the Diploma with credit;
• iii. A student scoring between 38 and 52 will be awarded the Diploma;
• iv. A student scoring between 23 and 37 will be permitted to revise and re-submit the final assignment; and
• v. A student scoring 22 or under will be deemed to have failed the course.

For students unfamiliar with United Kingdom marking standards and conventions, it is stressed that only exceptional assignments will be marked at an 'A' level which may be interpreted as an outstanding 'first class honours' performance. (In other words, the UK practice of substantial proportions of students receiving 'C', implying 'satisfactory', will apply).

The College of Public Speaking is committed to the development of effective communication throughout all strands of society, both within the UK and internationally. CoPS's trainers and lecturers devote a proportion of their time and expertise to a myriad of pro bono projects.